3. Include Flowers in the Background for Added Color

First: If you include flowers in the background, you need to keep things balanced.

That is, you don’t want to have one splash of color in the upper right hand corner, but then a solid green everywhere else.

Instead, you need to make sure that the flowers cover the entire background–or that the flowers balance one another out.

Second: Even though you’re including flowers in the background, you must still follow the rule of simplicity.

This means:

Only include one color of flower

Make sure that the color isn’t distracting

Ideally, the color should complement the main subject

That way, you’ll get a colorful background–but keep it all beautiful.

4. Include Broken Sunlight for the Best Bokeh Highlights

Let me explain:

Bokeh refers to smooth, creamy backgrounds.

But bokeh highlights are slightly different. They occur when there are pinpricks of light in the background, and you use a wide aperture.

The pinpricks of light are rendered as geometric shapes. And they look really, really beautiful.

Like this:

Now, one of the best ways to find pinpricks of light in nature…

…is to work with sun–that’s been broken by trees.

That is, when the sun is low in the sky, it falls below the treeline. And the tree leaves and branches block the sunlight. But some sunlight still makes it through–in the form of a pinprick!

Which results in some stunning bokeh.

So here’s what you do:

Wait until an hour or so before sunset. The sun will be nearing the horizon.

Then find a beautiful macro subject. A flower will work great.

Get down low, so that your subject has trees in the background. And position yourself so that the sun is behind your subject.

The sun will come through the trees…

…and create some gorgeous bokeh!

You just have to try it!

5. Use a Dark Board for Dark Macro Backgrounds

So far, all of the backgrounds that I’ve suggested have been natural.

But what if you can’t find a nice natural background?

Or what if you want to shoot indoors?

That’s when I suggest you use a simple black board.

You can create one of these yourself–just buy some plywood and paint it black. If you’re in a pinch, you can use a black sheet or curtain.

First, choose your subject. Then place your subject in a well-lit area–so that it’s receiving some nice light.

Finally, position your black background behind your subject.

But here’s the key:

You want to make sure that the background is not well lit. So put your background somewhere in the shade.

That way, it’ll be far darker than your main subject. And when you go to photograph your subject..

…your background will be a beautiful, dark black.

Note: It’s important that there’s absolutely no detail in the blacks. Any detail will ruin the shot. If you have to, underexpose–and then brighten the subject in post processing.

6. Shoot a Shaded Subject With a Sunny Background

Here’s a final macro photography background trick for you:

Wait until the sun is low in the sky. Don’t set out until two hours before sunset–at the earliest.

Find a subject that’s in the shade. It can be shaded by a tree, a building, or even your own hand.

Then walk around your subject, until you’ve found a nice background–one that’s sitting in the sun.

Now, if you shoot a shaded subject on a bright background, what happens?

Normally, the shot wouldn’t work. The background would be too bright and your subject would be too dark–resulting in an unpleasant, contrast-heavy photo.

But when the sun is very low in the sky, it casts soft, golden light. Which means that the background won’t be too bright. Instead, it will be a nice golden color!

So position yourself so that the sunny background is behind your shaded subject.

And start shooting.

It’ll make for a beautiful photo!

Macro Photography Backgrounds: The Next Steps

Now that you know how to capture incredible macro photography backgrounds…

…your macro photos will never be the same again.

Just remember to keep the background simple. And get down low!

Plus, try out a few of the backgrounds I shared.

You’ll love the results!

Also…

If you want to keep improving your macro photography skills, then you should sign up for my newsletter! I’ll send you lots of tips, tricks, and secrets, all designed to get you capturing gorgeous photos (as fast as possible!)

Jaymes is a nature photographer and photography writer/editor from Ann Arbor, Michigan. His articles have been featured by a number of leading photography publications, including Digital Photography School, Expert Photography, and PetaPixel. To read more about him, click here!